Chapter 141

Guo Ying's gaze was like a torch, without the slightest hesitation, he instantly looked at Lan Yu and said loudly.

Upon hearing this, Lan Yu did not hesitate at all, immediately stood out, bowed, clenched his right hand into a fist, struck his left chest heavily, and replied loudly: "This subordinate accepts the order!"

And the next moment.

Guo Ying's gaze slowly fell on Zhu Di.

At this moment.

Guo Ying narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing a complex expression: "Your Highness the Prince of Yan."

Although this tone was gentle, it also revealed helplessness: "Your status is noble. Although you are nominally the main general, His Majesty's original intention was for the Prince of Yan to accompany the army to gain experience and learn, so General Li will take command of the army for this battle."

"The Prince of Yan must not venture into danger; this time, you shall accompany my headquarters."

Hearing this.

Zhu Di's eyes, which were full of anticipation, dimmed instantly, his face carrying undisguised disappointment.

However, the generals in the tent were not surprised by this, showing no astonishment at all.

Zhu Di's status was set there; as a dignified imperial prince and a Prince of Great Ming, if he were to suffer any mishap on the battlefield, how could Guo Ying answer to Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang, who was far away in Ying Tian?

There were many capable generals in the camp now, and for Guo Ying, one less Zhu Di did not matter. His primary task was to ensure Zhu Di remained unharmed, so that he would not be punished.

Otherwise, even if Northern Yuan were wiped out, if something happened to Zhu Di, the crime would be as big as the sky.

"This subordinate understands." Although Zhu Di was full of disappointment, he was clear about his status; he lowered his head slightly and replied in a somewhat low and hoarse voice.

Zhu Di knew very well that even if he asked, nothing would change in the end.

The status of being Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang's son gave him too many unique advantages, but without ambition, this position had already reached its limit, with no room for further development.

Seeing that Zhu Di did not refute, Guo Ying nodded slightly, and his previously worried expression eased.

Immediately following.

Guo Ying cast his gaze toward Li Li Jinglong and said in a deep voice: "General Li."

Hearing the summons, Li Li Jinglong stood straight, bowed, and responded loudly: "This subordinate is here!"

"I leave the five Northern Yuan border cities in the west to General Lan Yu to break."

"The five Northern Yuan border cities in the east will be left to you."

"I order you to command 150,000 troops to break the five border cities, with the so-called Zhenxiacheng as the main one."

"Once the two generals complete their tasks, you will kill your way into Northern Yuan territory, taking cities as you encounter them and crushing Northern Yuan."

Guo Ying's expression was serious, saying every word clearly, not daring to have any negligence.

"This subordinate accepts the order." Li Li Jinglong replied loudly without hesitation.

At this time, the war had just begun, and Northern Yuan might have already learned that Great Ming was going to use troops against them, but they had not taken much action.

Now that Great Ming is on the offensive, dividing the troops into two routes is the best strategy to utilize military strength. Once Northern Yuan responds, Guo Ying will naturally change his tactics based on the battlefield situation.

"Generals!"

Guo Ying's gaze was serious as he swept across the generals in the tent, raising his voice: "The Northern Yuan scourge has disturbed our Great Ming's northern frontier, killed our Great Ming's people, and slaughtered our Great Ming's innocent commoners; these crimes are too numerous to record."

"You all know this."

"For this northern expedition, I will not waste words."

"Everything will be counted by the Garrison Commander; whoever renders meritorious service to the country and kills the enemy for the country will be rewarded."

"In this northern expedition, you must seize this opportunity to render meritorious service. Once Northern Yuan is pacified, the opportunities to render meritorious service on the battlefield will be fewer in the future."

These words.

Guo Ying naturally spoke with deep meaning.

It was also to tell the generals that this might be the last opportunity to render meritorious service on the battlefield in these few years.

As the voice fell.

The generals in the tent all stood up in unison and shouted in unison: "This subordinate understands!"

At this moment, including Zhu Ying, everyone had a serious expression and a solemn demeanor. Every general knew the significance of this battle and knew even more that this was an opportunity to render monumental meritorious service.

Zhu Ying's heart was surging with hot blood, full of longing, thinking to himself: "The merit of the northern expedition, sealing Mount Seal Langjuxu, and even capturing the Northern Yuan Emperor—I must do my best to win it."

"Once seized."

"Promotion from Count to Marquis."

"And even promotion to the rank of Regional Military Commissioner."

Regarding this.

Zhu Ying was full of anticipation.

After the military council in the main camp ended, the generals of each army returned to their respective main camps.

In the main camp of the Second Route Northern Expedition Army to which Zhu Ying belonged, Li Li Jinglong stood in front of the map, his hands behind his back, his brows tightly furrowed. Looking at the three generals in front of him, he asked: "Three generals, regarding the five border cities, according to the intelligence gathered by our Great Ming, Northern Yuan has at least 200,000 troops stationed at the border. These ten cities are regarded by Northern Yuan as a barrier to defend against our Great Ming. If we break one, they might retreat into the second. So, for this battle, what are your opinions?"

As he spoke, his gaze swept around, but it mainly fell on Zhu Ying.

Zhu Ying had been extremely brilliant on the Liaodong battlefield, and the two toughest strongholds that Great Ming had the hardest time taking were both broken by Zhu Ying leading his troops. Therefore, Li Li Jinglong placed the greatest expectations on Zhu Ying. After all, he knew very well in his heart how much ability he had to command troops; he weighed his own worth clearly.

"The five cities, although they defend each other."

"But in this battle, our army has a clear advantage in strength. Even though Northern Yuan's national power is still not bad, their internal disputes are constant, and they do not know the reality of our Great Ming's troop movements. As long as our Great Ming moves quickly this time, we will surely be able to catch Northern Yuan off guard." Zhu Ying said with a steady expression and a thoughtful gaze.

Zhu Ying's voice was not loud, but in this quiet tent, every word was clear, as if it carried a magic that made people believe.

The generals beside him also nodded in agreement.

"Then, General Zhu, for this battle, how about we concentrate our superior forces to launch a strong attack on the border city closest to our Great Ming, Zhenxiacheng?"

Li Li Jinglong looked at Zhu Ying, his eyes carrying a hint of inquiry and anticipation, as if waiting for Zhu Ying to give a perfect answer.

Hearing this, Zhu Ying glanced at Li Li Jinglong and muttered to himself: "This Li Li Jinglong is indeed as recorded in history; he has no talent for commanding troops. In the end, because of his father, he was held in too high regard."

And Zhu Di, who was on the side, also looked at Li Li Jinglong with a strange expression, his eyes full of surprise, as if he were also wondering why Li Li Jinglong would say this.

After all, Zhu Ying had already said that superior force and surprise were the keys to victory. Just launching a simple strong attack on one city would be playing right into Northern Yuan's hands.

Northern Yuan could also focus their defense on one city.

Then where would Great Ming's advantage in strength be?

Should they launch a strong attack?

To engage in a war of attrition?

"For this battle, we should divide our forces and move."

"We should attack Zhenxiacheng on one side, but the cities connected to it must also be attacked, so that we can disperse Northern Yuan's defensive forces."

"In this way, breaking the Northern Yuan defense line can also become simpler."

Zhu Ying said with a serious expression and clear logic.

While speaking, Zhu Ying used his finger to gesture on the map, completely presenting the attack route.

Hearing this, Li Li Jinglong nodded vigorously without any rebuttal: "Let it be as General Zhu says."

And Zhu Ying smiled at this.

"As the city facing our Great Ming, Zhenxiacheng's defensive forces must be even more rigorous."

"In that case, this subordinate is willing to lead the Daning border army to attack this Zhenxiacheng." Zhu Ying immediately stepped forward and requested the order with a cupped-fist salute.

Although Li Li Jinglong was useless and had no ability to command troops or set up formations, he was still the commander of the Second Route Army. If one wanted to move troops, one still had to go through him.

Of course, with Li Li Jinglong like this, although Zhu Ying kept criticizing him in his heart, he was still quite satisfied. After all, in this way, Li Li Jinglong would not interfere too much with his troop movements.

Compared to a general who had no ability to command but liked to point fingers randomly, Zhu Ying preferred someone like Li Li Jinglong who was not ashamed to ask questions and did not care about his own face.

"This subordinate is willing to act as support to attack Zhenmingcheng and attract Northern Yuan's defensive forces." Zhang Wu also stepped forward and requested the order with a cupped-fist salute, his face carrying a firm expression.

"Then this subordinate will follow General Zhu to attack Zhenxiacheng." Mu Sheng also did not want to fall behind, stood out to request the order, his eyes revealing an eager spirit.

After all.

This was Mu Sheng's first time experiencing such a large-scale war.

It was different from the small skirmishes in Yunnan Prefecture.

Seeing this, Li Li Jinglong smiled and nodded repeatedly, very excited: "Since the three generals have all requested, I will naturally agree."

"Let us proceed according to the attack strategy proposed by the three generals."

Clearly, Li Li Jinglong must be secretly rejoicing in his heart at this moment; he didn't need to issue orders, he only needed to make the decision, and Zhu Ying had already set the strategy for him.

With his understanding of Zhu Ying's ability to command troops, Li Li Jinglong naturally trusted him very much.

"Prince of Yan, what do you think?" Li Li Jinglong asked with a smile, looking at Zhu Di on the side. His smile carried a hint of flattery and a hint of anticipation.

"I naturally have no objections."

Zhu Di also nodded with a smile, but his gaze then fell on Zhu Ying, his eyes carrying a hint of curiosity and anticipation: "I have long heard that General Zhu is not only good at facing the enemy head-on but also good at attacking and breaking cities. Even a sturdy city like Jincheng was easily broken by General Zhu. In this battle, I will also surely witness General Zhu's feat of breaking a city with my own eyes."

Regarding this.

"The Prince of Yan is too kind."

"Everything still needs to be proven on the battlefield." Zhu Ying replied with a smile, without further ado.

However, looking at the confidence in Zhu Ying's smile, it was clear that he had no fear at all regarding this battle.

The military council in the main camp dispersed, and the army stationed at the border between Beiping and Daning Prefecture broke camp one after another.

The soldiers were busy packing up the tents, carrying tent poles, rolling up bedding, and moving boxes of supplies onto horse-drawn carriages.

War horses neighed, the sound of hooves clattered, and the shouts of soldiers rose one after another.

The flags fluttered and danced in the wind.

The Great Ming war flag, where the military might lies.

The army was divided into two routes, like two surging torrents of steel, killing their way toward Northern Yuan.

On the other side, the Northern Yuan capital, the New Capital.

When Northern Yuan occupied the Central Plains in the past, they established three capitals: the first was Shangdu, the second was Dadu, and the third was Zhongdu.

As the Yuan Dynasty failed in the Central Plains and was driven out of the Huaxia territory, the Northern Yuan Emperor did not retreat to 【Karakorum】, the capital that truly belonged to his Mongol Empire, but instead built a New Capital near Great Ming.

Besides those Northern Yuan imperial family members who enjoyed the luxury of the Central Plains, there were also many nobles who were reluctant to leave the prosperity of the Central Plains. Another reason was that Northern Yuan wanted to declare to Great Ming and all Han people through the New Capital that their Northern Yuan capital was established near the Divine Land, and their Northern Yuan cavalry could go south at any time to retake the Central Plains and the world.

The New Capital was even larger than Liaoyang City in Liaodong.

The city walls were tall and thick, like a winding giant beast lying on the earth. The battlements on the city walls were arranged neatly, and the huge iron gates at the city entrance were tightly closed.

Outside the capital was a wide moat, and the drawbridge on the river was pulled high, like an insurmountable chasm. The entire capital adopted the construction regulations of a capital, grand and majestic, easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Inside the Northern Yuan council hall, various pearls and gemstones were embedded in the pillars and the ceiling.

These jewels refracted colorful light under the sunlight shining through the windows, making the entire palace look jeweled and magnificent.

Perhaps, seeing Northern Yuan go to the Central Plains and become so luxurious and particular about pomp, their ancestors would be so angry they would jump out of their graves.

Of course, although the hall was luxurious, it was not in the Han style, but entirely in the Mongol style.

The high-and-mighty Northern Yuan Emperor, dressed in a dragon robe with Mongol characteristics, sat on a tiger-skin chair, overlooking the court.

The ministers below were also dressed in official robes similar to fur, wearing furry official hats, and the hats were also embedded with various gemstones. The entire court had a distinct Northern Yuan style.

A foreign style for Great Ming.

"Your Majesty." Northern Yuan Chancellor Shilie Men stood out, his brows tightly furrowed, his face full of anxiety.

Afterward.

He said urgently: "The Ming barbarians are already going to use troops against our Great Yuan."

"Now they have already stationed troops in Ming's Beiping Prefecture and will attack at any time."

"If Ming uses troops, their strength will certainly not be small. The 200,000 troops stationed at the ten border cities will certainly not be enough."

"I ask Your Majesty to quickly summon the leaders of all tribes and let them increase their troops to guard the border and resist the Ming army."

As his voice fell, many Yuan ministers in the court also had worried expressions.

Some ministers lowered their heads slightly, brows locked, whispering to the people beside them, their faces full of anxiety, while others looked up at the Emperor, their eyes full of urgency, and of course, there were those who treated it calmly, watching the show.

And the Northern Yuan Emperor sitting on the tiger-skin chair also had a worried expression; he leaned back slightly on the chair, full of helplessness.

All along, although he had the heart to counterattack Great Ming and go south to the Central Plains again, the Northern Yuan of today was no longer the Great Yuan of the past.

Many tribes within his territory no longer listened to his imperial decrees. He had finally managed to cultivate a Nahachu.

But when Great Ming attacked Liaodong, the Northern Yuan Emperor had the heart to send troops to reinforce and must protect Nahachu, but there were many disputes in the court, constantly wavering between sending troops and not sending troops. In the end, Nahachu was destroyed by Great Ming, and they hadn't even discussed a conclusion.

And most importantly, after losing Nahachu and losing Liaodong.

The sword he had finally set up to hang over Great Ming's head was removed.

The Northern Yuan Emperor had the heart to mobilize troops to station at the border, but his subordinates, many ministers, and many tribal leaders were unwilling.

Stationing 200,000 troops was already the limit for the Northern Yuan Emperor. And they also had to divide the army to guard other places, responsible for deterring many tribes.

"Have you found out exactly how many troops Ming has mobilized to invade?" The Northern Yuan Emperor asked in a deep voice with a solemn expression, his gaze sweeping across the people in the court.

"Replying to Your Majesty. When Ming attacked Liaodong, their strength was no less than 300,000."

"This time, they are making such a big fuss, and even invading our Great Yuan without any cover. It is conceivable that Ming's strength will certainly not be small, certainly not less than 300,000, or even 400,000 or 500,000."

"The barbarians of today are no longer the barbarians of the past. Their population is larger than our Great Yuan, and they have more resources, making it easy to raise an army."

"That is why I implore Your Majesty to quickly mobilize the army in the northern frontier to reinforce the border."

Shilie Men said with an urgent tone and a solemn expression.

As he spoke, he waved his hands, as if this would make the Northern Yuan Emperor realize the severity of the current situation more deeply.

"Now, how many more troops can our Great Yuan mobilize?"

The Northern Yuan Emperor asked with furrowed brows.

When he asked this, his gaze was actually wandering among the military officials and many powerful elites who held great power.

Although he was the Emperor and was indeed still on the throne, his control over this vast empire was clearly insufficient.

His eyes carried a hint of helplessness and a hint of anticipation, expecting these military officials and powerful elites to give him a satisfactory answer.

"Replying to Your Majesty."

"Although our Great Yuan's population is less than Great Ming's, our grassland sons are all soldiers. As long as Your Majesty issues a decree, our Great Yuan can easily mobilize over 600,000 troops to meet the Ming army." Shilie Men said immediately.

He deliberately raised his voice, as if reminding his colleagues in the court.

But.

No one responded.

Seeing this.

The Northern Yuan Emperor couldn't help it.

"Generals, do you have nothing to say?"

The Northern Yuan Emperor cast his gaze on the military officials again. His eyes carried a hint of majesty and a hint of inquiry.

Facing his gaze, a military general stood out and replied loudly: "This subordinate is willing to mobilize 100,000 sons of the tribe to meet the Ming army."

"Good, good. As expected of a Grand General of our Great Yuan, one can see people's hearts at critical moments."

"General Guili Chi, you quickly mobilize the tribal army. As soon as possible."

The Northern Yuan Emperor immediately showed joy and nodded repeatedly.

His face finally showed joy; clearly, the military general who stood out had a high status. With him standing out, the Northern Yuan Emperor also breathed a sigh of relief.

Sure enough.

And after this military general spoke, several more military generals stood out.

"My tribe can mobilize 50,000 sons."

"My tribe can mobilize 60,000 sons..."

Several military generals spoke respectfully one after another.

Clearly, now that Great Ming was attacking, they also felt the threat and naturally did not dare not to mobilize troops.

Of course, there was also the lead of the previous military general.

"Generals, very good."

"As long as our Great Yuan is united, we will surely be able to block the Ming barbarians. No, as long as we block them, we can counterattack Great Ming, go south to swallow the Central Plains, and re-establish the heavenly might of our Great Yuan."

"Those barbarians only deserve to submit at the feet of our Great Yuan."

The Northern Yuan Emperor said excitedly, his body leaning forward slightly, his eyes flashing with excitement, as if he had already seen the scene of the Northern Yuan cavalry trampling Great Ming.

Originally, Northern Yuan Chancellor Shilie Men had a solemn expression, but seeing these military generals who usually pushed back on mobilizing troops were all willing to mobilize troops, he also had a relaxed smile.

"This time, our Great Yuan's crisis can be resolved." Shilie Men thought to himself.

"Your Majesty."

"With the generals mobilizing the army, there are a full 200,000-plus troops, plus the 200,000 troops guarding the border, which is absolutely enough to resist the Ming army. The subordinate army stationed in the northern frontier does not need to be mobilized for the time being."

Coming back to his senses, Shilie Men said respectfully again.

Guili Chi, who spoke first, had a change in his eyes, a flash of urgency, and immediately stood out and said: "Ming is coming aggressively, and its momentum is like a broken bamboo. Our Great Yuan should use absolute strength to cripple Ming. Your Majesty! This subordinate believes that the 200,000 troops stationed in the hinterland of the northern frontier must also be mobilized immediately. Only in this way can we completely resolve this great scourge of the Ming army and let Ming know the power of our Great Yuan!"

Hearing this, the Northern Yuan Emperor had a hesitant expression, his face full of struggle and unwillingness.

You must know.

The significance of these 200,000 troops stationed in the hinterland of the northern frontier is extraordinary.

The fundamental reason is to deter the various tribes that depend on Northern Yuan.

If there were no 200,000 troops to guard and deter!

Northern Yuan would have been in chaos long ago, and I don't know how many people in this court would have declared themselves kings long ago.

The Northern Yuan Emperor knows this clearly.

And at this moment.

Because of Guili Chi's voice.

In the court, the atmosphere became extremely solemn, and everyone looked up at the Northern Yuan Emperor, not daring to breathe.

Clearly.

At this moment.

All decision-making power lies with him.

"200,000 troops."

"If they are mobilized, how can I still control the northern frontier?"

"Will those tribes still be honest?"

At this moment, the Northern Yuan Emperor was extremely conflicted in his heart.

After all, the foundations of the Northern Yuan Empire and the Great Ming Empire are completely different.

Great Ming is an empire with strict official systems and strict control over military power, with various functions and powers clearly defined.

Military power is supervised by the imperial court, mobilizing troops requires a military tally, and all political decrees are based on the will of the Great Ming imperial court.

Looking at the Northern Yuan Empire, it is different; they are like the suzerain states of the past.

Its territory is indeed vast and boundless, and even the current territory is larger than Great Ming's.

However.

Their national foundation is composed of many tribes combined, with each tribe submitting to Northern Yuan, paying tribute regularly, and depending on Northern Yuan for survival.

It can be said that each tribe has its own leader, and these leaders possess extremely high power and prestige within their respective tribes. If they do not respect the Northern Yuan Emperor, those tribal leaders are the emperors of a tribe.

Once those 200,000 troops are withdrawn, and the northern frontier hinterland loses the deterrence of this powerful force, the various tribes will inevitably become restless.

Conflicts may break out between tribes for resources and territory, and the already unstable situation will become even more chaotic.

The Northern Yuan Emperor knew this very well. Although he knew the danger of the Ming army's invasion this time, he ultimately did not want to easily mobilize these 200,000 troops, because he was afraid that after withdrawing the troops, the country would fall into endless chaos, which is a situation he, as an emperor, did not want to see.

What's more critical is that his power will also be threatened.

……

(End of chapter)